Question about surgery for my cat

[bif]

So we took our cat to the vets and it turns out she has a loose patella (kneecap). The vet put it back in place but it slipped out almost immediately. One of our options is surgery. It's relatively expensive, probably around $6,000. But money is really not a factor. We just want to do the right thing for her. We have a consultation with a surgeon on Thursday, but we know he/she will recommend it. Because it's good money after all.

The other option is we don't do anything. She limps a little but isn't in any pain and is working around it. She's careful about jumping up on the bed, etc. She definitely knows her limitations. For example, when I take a shower, she usually jumps up on the sink and waits for me. She stopped jumping on the sink because she knows she probably won't make it.

My biggest concern is surgery is always risky. Anyone else have experience with this? Any advice would be appreciated.

[Deuxcents]

1. I don't have any advice, sorry, but a question..what about a flexible brace, kinda like a compression sleeve

How old is she and how long to recover if she has surgery..any guesses about it being successful?

[hlthe2b]

2. Big heavy dogs, no really good alternatives to surgery, but vets have a saying about orthopedic issues in cats...

that goes something like "if it (bone, ligament, tendon) is still "part" of the cat, it will heal (and that is because cats are lightweight weight so that they are not continually putting tremendous force and torque on their limbs--and thus rest & tincture of time can do a lot. That doesn't mean you might not opt for primary surgical repair, just that you have more options, and the long-term results of NOT doing surgery, but rather relying on rest and perhaps some physical therapy later on, are far less consequential.


Good luck.

[bif]

3. She's five-years old

And they usually live 15+ years. The vet said it's rare in cats and much more common in dogs. But she's an Abyssinian and they love to jump up on tall furniture. It probably popped up from her jumping down from the fridge.

[SheltieLover]

6. Get her some good solid ramps to alleviate joint stress

My last Sheltie princess had the surgery for a similar condition.

She healed quickly & had no further problems.

Her knee joint was not deep enough to hold knee in place, so surgeon fixed it.

If money is no object, you might want to consult an orthopedic surgeon for her.

Best of luck to you!

[Bayard]

4. $6K? Yikes!

We had that happen twice with one of our past Great Pyrenees. Very painful. One knee, then the other. I would have to look up whether the, "knee," is the same thing for cats and dogs? Dog's stifle is actually on their hind legs, and referred to as their knee because its the closest thing that compares to human anatomy.

Anyway, both of Bear's surgeries were quite successful. The GP vet went in and tied up the knee basically with fishing line. Cost: under $1,000 in Shelbyville, KY. If we had taken him to the Louisville specialist it would have been $3K.

We finally lost Bear to cancer though.

[bamagal62]

8. Where are you located?

Are you in driving distance to a vet school/teaching hospital? They are sooooo much cheaper.
We’ve used both UPenn and Ohio State for our dog’s surgeries, mri’s, echocardiograms, etc. At least 1/2 the cost.

[bif]

10. We're in Detroit.

And the closest veterinary surgeon is about 35-40 minutes away. MSU has a vet program but that's 1 1/2 away.

[Ponietz]

5. If it were my cat I'd give it time to heal

In the meantime, I’d get a second opinion/quote from a different vet.

Plumbers and veterinarians are known to gouge customers.

[hlthe2b]

7. Wow... veterinarians--like physicians & dentists have 8-12 or more years of study/education and yet you

compare them to plumbers saying: "Plumbers and veterinarians are known to gouge customers."

Wow, just wow...

[Ponietz]

15. Glad you've never been overcharged by a doctor, dentist or vet.

Wow! Just wow!

[hlthe2b]

16. I did not say that. But, your contempt is so similar to those we try hard not to be like.

Or at least I try not to be like--with their automatic disdain for education, hard-earned qualifications, expertise.

Damn! But you are right. I do NOT want to be like THAT. EVER.

[Ponietz]

18. "Gouge" was a little harsh, I admit

[SharonAnn]

17. Many vet practices have been bought but private equity firms. They set the prices.

The vets work for the Private Equity firm..

[bif]

20. We checked to make sure they were independent

My daughter dealt with one of the vets that was owned by a conglomerate and had a horrible experience.

[bif]

9. The problem is

The kneecap won't stay in place. And I'm not really sure how to put it back in place. The vet gave us a list of surgeons. We did some research and picked the one that had the best reviews. Not sure exactly how much it'll be. She just gave us rough idea how much it might cost.

[Ponietz]

14. Your cat is lucky to have you

[Nigrum Cattus]

11. See if there is a Vet school near by

Always get a 2nd opinion -
There may also be some kind of custom brace they could make.
https://baltousa.com/collections/feline-leg-braces

[bif]

12. MSU is a good 1 1/2 hours away

So not really.

[femmedem]

13. I found two links that might help you decide, or at least give you some questions to ask the surgeon:

First, a description of the stages of luxation and how the condition is likely to progress over time: https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/luxating-patella

Second, the success rate of surgery and what the recovery is like: https://www.animalsurgicalcenter.com/storage/app/media/ASCM_docs/Patella_luxation/Discharge_Instructions_Patellar_Luxation_Cats.pdf

Good luck. Your cat is lucky to have you taking care of her.

[bif]

21. Thank you for the links.

Very helpful.

[ShazzieB]

19. The surgery sounds like a god idea to me.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend it if she was a lot older, but at 5 years of age, your kitty has a lot of potentially very good years ahead of her. The knee may not seem to be bothering her much for now, but as she ages, I would think it would be likely to get worse, instead of better. And the older she is, and the worse the knee gets, the riskier the surgery would be, and the harder it would probably be to get ideal results. Fixing this knee now sounds like it would be a good investment in giving her a pain free future. If you have the ability to pay for it (and it sounds like you do), i see no reason not to go for it.

Checking out different doctors first sounds like a good idea, and as you talk to them, they can give you much more informed opinions about the likely outcome of surgery as well as the potential results of not doing it. I'd be interested to hear what they have to say. But knowing what I know about aging joints in humans from firsthand experience, things like that do not tend to get better on their own!

Funny story: I had a cat (Logan) who was diagnosed with two loose kneecaps at a routine checkup when he was about 2 years old. The vet said there was no rush to do anything about it as long he didn't seem to be having any problems, but that he might need surgery eventually. As time went on, though, he never showed any signs of knee problems. He finally died of kidney failure at the ripe old age of 17 without ever needing to have anything done about his knees. We never would have even known there was anything different about his knees if that vet hadn't told us about it,

Your kitty's situation is obviously a lot different from Logan's, and she's lucky to have such caring humans who are in a position to get her whatever treatment she needs. I hope you'll keep us posted as things progress with checking out surgeons and making a decision, not to mention the surgery itself, if she has it.